Blast Off

Yes, we have begun. The third time is a charm. They came to get us at about 8:30 and we had some people from church pray before we went up. We were only there for a short time, and the anesthesiologist took Justin away. 9 am was our start time, so we expect about 5-7 hours from then. They were very good about making sure we understood everything that is going to happen. They are going to fix his heart, that's the most important. We love everyone who is praying for us, and we couldn't do it without you.

Long and Short

That describes our night. Long on darkness, short on sleep. Since they were able to get in an IV, our nurse started a saline drip at 1:15 this morning. She entered all the settings on the machine outside our door, and let me tell you, beep, beep beep, beep, is NOT a calming sleep-inducing sound. So we were very awake, and so was little man. So I took the opportunity to feed him one last time, WELL before our 3 am cut off. Then we were awakened again at 3:50 for a bp check and she opens the door, and says, "Oh, do you want to skip this one?" Uh, YEAH! Then little man woke at 4:50 and wanted to eat. Uh, so sorry! But he was awake, and it took a while to get him back asleep. Then anesthesia came in and woke him up to evaluate him, and while she was here our nurse came in and said that they got a call from the holding room that they were going to be late because another emergency came up. Only an hour so far, and thankfully, Justin was able to go back to sleep. We're in our room still, bleary-eyed, but hopeful!

A Walk in the Park

We are all settled into our room for tonight. We are old pros at this, so everything went very smoothly. We arrived at the hospital at about 2 pm and we had to check in through the ER. Every sick child in Harris county was in the lobby this afternoon. As a child was walking past Randy holding Justin he sneezed and Randy told Justin not to breathe. Do you think that helped?

We got our chest x-ray and EKG and the blood and urine samples. They got the vein on the FIRST stick! That was a huge answer to prayer. Last time they stuck him 3 times, and still didn't get an IV started. They taped is arm all up with the board to keep it from coming out, but they left his thumb out. Big mistake! He has been going after that thumb like crazy! He is asleep now, and we can expect a visit at midnight to start IV fluids and then I will feed him at 2:30 and THAT'S ALL! We confirmed that with the cardiovascular charge nurse.

We have had a long day today. Travis woke up at 5:30 and so we got up and made cinnamon rolls. We made a double batch and brought some with us, so the first few people here in the morning to see us get breakfast! Then we had some family time and went to the park. Travis had a blast and Randy snuggled with Justin as he took a nap. It was beautiful weather and we enjoyed it thoroughly.

This will be it. Tomorrow they will take Justin from us and I will have to wait. I have to keep my focus above and trust that God will care for him tomorrow and beyond. All I know is that the instant I take my eyes off God, I feel a weight on my chest and the burden seems unbearable. When I look back up, I feel lighter. It's not only spiritual, but physical as well. I know that this is only a blip on the radar of Justin's life, and I look forward to the rest with eager anticipation.

Seriously??

Letter to the editor from the Houston Chronicle: Sept. 3, 2008

With the announcement that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, how can Sarah Palin possibly think that she can continue her run for the Republican vice presidency? The GOP players have been quick to praise her family values, but I question the values of any woman who would leave a special needs infant and her pregnant teenage daughter to gallivant around the nation in a frantic round-the-clock campaign for the vice presidency.

Palin's family is in crisis and, at the risk of sounding like some moldy leftover from the 1950s, her place is at home right now tending to her 5 children. Women can have it all. They just can't have it at the same time.

-Betsy Dolan
Sugar Land



Seriously?

I will only say 2 things:

1. What if it were a man in this situation?
2. Who is she to say what another person should do?

Potty Training

So we were sitting at home with nothing to do, so we decided to try more potty training. Travis agreed (very important!), so we went for it.



We already had success in the bath at night, so we tried the morning. We tried several times to catch him right out of bed, but we haven't be able to do that yet. So we set the timer and sat on the potty every hour, and he did it every time! We have only had 3 accidents all week. He has earned 2 Thomas trains for entire days without an accident, and almost an entire bag of starburst candies. He has even been dry after naps for the past 2 days. And while I put a diaper on when we got out, he has been dry when we returned home. We did have one episode of 2 days without a #2, and that caused a bit of trauma, but the bathtub potty time solved the problem for us. I would not say that he is done (far from it!) but we are VERY encouraged. I am hoping that Travis will go relatively easy because I know that Justin has the potential to be a bit tougher. I have heard from other DS parents that the girls are only a bit delayed with potty training, but the boys tend to be significantly longer (maybe up to age 7-8 and even then maybe not at night). Of course, Justin may be earlier, but I am not thinking about the bridge yet.



When Justin wakes up from nap, sometimes he and Travis will play a bit in the crib. Yesterday I would say that they had their first wrestling match. Travis was very squirmy and he rolled all over and Justin was smiling and laughing. It was so funny! I tried to get a picture, but it doesn't do it justice! It looks like Travis is sticking his finger in Justin's mouth, but really it's not that bad. And I always stand close by, so no worries!

Play it Again, Sam

Well, we are going to try again. We are back in surgery mode for the third time, and I feel a bit like we are crying wolf. We believe it just as much as everyone else, and it is difficult to be so prepared and then to be put off. This time I think it will happen. I cry and talk to God every night at Justin's crib, looking at my sweet baby and wishing that I could take this from him, knowing that I can't and that that is part of the teaching and molding that God is doing in me. I want to hold him every minute of the day and look in his eyes and tell him how much I love him. He sits on my lap and watches Travis play and then he turns his head up to look at me, as if to check to see if I am still there. I am, and so is God.

What do you Think?

I spoke with another DS mom today about sleep. Justin has learned to roll front to back very easily (although he only goes one direction) and it seems to be affecting his sleep. He rolls himself over during his nap and wakes himself up and won't go back to sleep. When Travis did this, it was during the night and one night he woke himself up (and thus ME) about 12 times. So that next day I determined to teach him to roll back to front, which he did, and the next night was fine. But that has not happened with Justin. I know things will take him longer, and I am okay with that. I was just wondering if this was going to be a long phase. She couldn't quite remember, which gives me hope that the memories didn't burn into her brain. Travis still isn't a good sleeper, and I wonder, do you think that God has given me 2 poor sleepers so that I never wander too far away? I pray for sleep daily, and maybe if they sleep, I will think I can do it on my own. If I stay bleary-eyed and without focus, I will be forced to lean on God to make it through each day. If there EVER was a fear of that!